Battle for Bellock

Battle for Bellock
Part of Northern Territory War
Date 12 September 1914 - present (4 days) Location Bellock, Finnmarck, Rotgeheim Result Ongoing
Belligerents
Rotgeheim	Fuerstenburg
Commanders and leaders
Fedor Hampel Jürgen Siegling Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke	Jannick Tanneberger Uwe Heilmann Tobias Loeb
Units involved
13th VS-Mountain Division Dinslaken 26th VS-Mountain Division Langemarck 30th VS-Airborne Division Ramcke	2nd Armored Division 16th Infantry Division 218th Cavalry Brigade
Strength
41,366 troops	55,000 troops 100 tanks 55 fighter planes
Casualties and losses
Dead: Wounded: Missing: Captured:	Dead: Wounded: Missing: Captured:
Civilians Dead: 832

The Battle for Bellock is an ongoing engagement between the Rotgeheiman Verteidigungsstaffel and the Military of Fuerstenburg. It began on 12 September 1914, when Fuerstenburg troops entered the northern section of the city following an artillery bombardment. Numerous casualties have been inflicted on both sides as the fighting continues.

Background

Opening Hostilities

Artillery Bombardment

At 6:00 a.m. on 12 September, artillery units of the Fuerstenburg military established south of the Schillinger River began to open fire on Bellock. Evacuation of the city's civilian population was ordered the night before, so little civilian casualties were suffered. Heavy property damage was inflicted on the northern half of Bellock (the city was divided in half east-west by the Strittmatter River), and fires broke out in the surrounding forests. Military casualties of Rotgeheim during the bombardment were also low.

Reconnaissance and Probing

The first units to engage the Rotgeheiman defenders were fighter bombers assisted by reconnaissance aircraft. The fighter bombers of Fuerstenburg were tasked with eliminating the larger defensive positions occupied by the Rotgeheiman troops, but these strafing runs were thwarted by the anti-aircraft defenses of Rotgeheim. Several planes were caught in the thick flak provided by the anti-aircraft defenses and subsequently crashed into the city.

Small bands of infantry were dispatched by Fuerstenburg to test the defenses of Rotgeheim firsthand. These infantry bands were met by experienced veterans of the Verteidigungsstaffel (locally known as Sturmgrenadiere; this roughly means "Assault Grenadiers" or more literally "Storm Grenadiers"). The highly advanced weaponry and experience of these men were too much for the small groups of Fuerstenburg infantry. All small groups were either destroyed or repelled.

Attacking Waves

On 13 September waves of infantry started to advance over the bridge into the southern side of Bellock. The Sturmgrenadiere stationed on the farthest extent of the battle were overrun, despite their technological and tactical advantage. These waves of infantry advanced seemingly unaffected by the defenders within the city itself. The first wave, comprised of solely infantry, advanced into a small forested section of the city and were wiped out completely by Sturmgrenadiere lying in wait within the treeline. The second wave, consisting of Fuerstenburg infantry and armor, was just entering the city at this time and was unable to assist their comrades. Rotgeheiman StuG VI assault guns were deployed to the battleground at about this time to provide indirect fire support to the defending infantry and to bombard the advancing troops with high explosive rounds.

Continued Combat

Rotgeheiman Air Presence

The only airfield available to Rotgeheiman air units was roughly two kilometers behind the headquarters of Langemarck and Dinslaken. The first planes were scrambled into the air at 12:15 a.m. on 14 September. The Fw190-f fighter aircraft were ordered to keep in a defensive holding pattern over the southern side of Bellock, as anti-air defenses across the river and Fuerstenburg fighters posed a threat too large for chances to be taken. Every few minutes, the Rotgeheiman aircraft were attacked by small groups of Fuerstenburg fighter craft as a measure to eliminate Rotgeheiman air power, but anti-aircraft defenses in the southern part of Bellock severely damaged or shot down all aircraft involved in these incursions.

Ju87-f fighter bombers were mobilized shortly after the Fw190-f fighters. They dropped their bomb loads on enemy tanks that attempted to cross the bridge, prompting Fuerstenburg command to not send armored units until the Ju87-f fighter bombers had been dealt with.

At about 1:00 p.m. on 14 September the first Ar234-f bombers were sent into the air. Escorted by the Fw190-f fighters, which quickly became occupied with the Fuerstenburg fighters, they targeted Fuerstenburg ammunition dumps and other supply facilities. Rotgeheiman bombardiers devised a quick plan to choke out the supply chain of Fuerstenburg. At the very least the bomber crews thought the action against the supply points would slow down the advance of Fuerstenburg troops.

Turning the Tide

The bombing action against the supply areas worked in both ways the bomber crews envisioned. Most supply depots had been destroyed, effectively halting the advance of Fuerstenburg and claiming its military's full attention. Several efforts were made to re-establish supply chains with the beach head, nearly all of which were foiled by the bombing. The main bridge over the Schillinger River was destroyed, rendering this route impassable. The supply trucks would now have to detour another two kilometers east in order to pass over another, smaller bridge. Although the distance was not great, the extra distance nonetheless meant that the supplies would be received at a later time; time was a particularly short resource for the stalled Fuerstenburg advance.

Rotgeheiman Counter Attacks

Airborne Drops

On 14 September, Fallschirmjäger (paratroopers) from the 30th VS-Airborne Division Ramcke were loaded onto their Ju52-f transport aircraft and prepared for their mission. The 30th Fallschirmjäger Regiment of Ramcke was tasked with deploying its troops over the northern side of Bellock, securing vital areas of the city (such as the government district of the city), and and linking up with waiting Rotgeheiman forces on the bridge. The drop was code named Fall Sommerspaziergang (German: "Case Summer Stroll").

The objectives for each unit of the 30th Fallschirmjäger Regiment in Fall Sommerspaziergang were as follows:

• 1st Fallschirmjäger Battalion was to secure the government district and await the advancing Rotgeheiman forces. The 1st Fallschirmjäger Battalion was expected to wait up to two days for support.
• 2nd Fallschirmjäger Battalion had two objectives. The first was to secure Potsdam Park in the center of the northern side of Bellock. This park was a holding area for prisoners, both civilian and military. The second was to secure the main road (Wilhelm Street) leading from the government district to the bridge.
• 3rd Fallschirmjäger Battalion was ordered to secure the northwestern corner of the northern half of Bellock. This area was upon a hill (dubbed Hill 232) and provided an excellent viewpoint of the entire city, both northern and southern sides. Securing this side allowed for spotters to reveal enemy positions, making artillery bombardments more accurate, as well as eliminating the possibility that Fuerstenburg troops could do the same.
• 4th Fallschirmjäger Battalion was on reserve for the operation. They would only be utilized to reinforce an area in danger of capture by Fuerstenburg, or to assist in the particular fierce zones of combat.